M-SParc Returns to London

(c) 2024 Jane Elizabeth Lambert all rights reserved

Gareth the Orangutan at the London Welsh Centre 25 Sep

 

Jane Lambert

During last year's Indian summer, representatives of the Menai Science Park ("M-SParc") held a series of events at the House of Lords,  the London Welsh School and the Welsh Government's London offices in Victoria.  I attended two of those events and discussed them in Reflections on Wales Innovation Week in London.  Yesterday and the day before the M-SParc team returned to London to promote opportunities, investment, entrepreneurship and innovation in Wales (see M-SParc #ArYLonDon on the M-SParc website).

This year they held a reception at the London Welsh Centre on 25 Sept 2024 and continued the next day with STEM workshops at the London Welsh School and a pitching event organized by Global Welsh in Whitechapel at which M-SParc was a sponsor.  As soon as I finished my talk on intellectual property for the Convergent Content Scaler I took a train to London which arrived just in time for the reception at the London Welsh Centre.

Someone at M-SParc took or made arrangements for a video to be taken of the event and posted it to Linkedin.  The event took place in the first-floor bar of the Centre.  I was shown the dancing robot and invited to try my luck at one of the video games.  I also circulated and introduced myself to some of the speakers and other guests.

Sometime after 18:30, Pryderi ap Rhisiart, M-SParc's Managing Director, introduced himself to the audience.  He said a few words about the science park, the trip to London and the programme for the evening,  He then introduced Hywel Pitts, a superabundantly talented singer I would never have discovered had I not started to study Welsh.  

He had the audience in fits of laughter.  Sadly most of his jokes and allusions passed over my head because I could not keep pace with the lyrics or patter. While my Welsh is a little bit more than "tipyn bach" it is a long way short of "yn rhugl."  Simultaneous translation was available but I try not to use it when learning a language. It is usually possible to pick up the gist of a conversation and attune the ear but relying on an interpreter teaches nothing.  Happily, there is a song about Brexit recorded on YouTube that Hywel sang with another popular singer known as "the Welsh Whisperer."  The lyrics of that song are so obvious that anyone can follow that song sufficiently to appreciate both artists' wits.  

After the singing, Pryderi introduced a panel of speakers:

• Llinos Medi MP, the recently elected member for Ynys Môn 
• Owain James of Darogan Talent
• Huw Brassington of Tenet Consultants, and
• Peter Evans of Wales in London.

He had several questions on folded post-it notes that had been placed in a tricorne hat.  He invited each of the quests to pick one from the hat, read it to the audience and discuss it.  Some of the interviews were in Welsh where, again, I picked up the gist but not the detail.

After a short break, we met the star of the evening, Gareth yr Orangutan.  I have been a fan of Gareth's for years - long before he joined M-SParc.  I first encountered him during lockdown when I spent the fortnight that I had intended to spend in St Davids listening to "Say Something in Welsh" recordings.  I think I learnt more Welsh from those videos than ever I did from the courses at Nant Gwrtheyrn, Popeth Cymraeg and the London Welsh Centre.  Gareth speaks the Welsh of everyday conversation which is a lot less structured than the classroom version.  My favourite videos are his work experience in the chip shop and his Christmas show with the ghost of Christmas past, the Welsh whisperer and Sion Corn.  Gareth interviewed some of the guests in his inimitable style.

The evening was in full swing when I was horrified to see that I had just 35 minutes to dash to King's Cross to catch the last train back to Donny.   Since buses are as frequent as the Preston Guild and taxis are as rare as hens' teeth I had to run.  I did not have time to say goodbye to Gareth or the rest of the team from M-SParc.  I had been hoping to meet Hywel Pitts and Llinos Medi MP but that will have to be another occasion.   

I boarded my train with minutes to spare, picked up my car at the station car park and arrived him just after 02:00. It had been a very long day but a very pleasant one.